EU mergers and takeovers (Sept 29)

BRUSSELS, Sept 29 (Reuters) - The following are mergers under review by the European Commission and a brief guide to the EU merger process:

APPROVALS AND WITHDRAWALS

None

NEW LISTINGS

-- Mobile operator Vodafone to form joint venture with Ireland (Other OTC: IRLD - news) 's Electricity Supply Board to build fibre broadband network across country (notified Sept. 26/deadline Oct. 31)

-- Private equity fund Clayton, Dubilier & Rice to acquire helicopter operator CHC Group (NYSE: HELI - news) (notified Sept. 26/deadline Oct. 31/simplified)

EXTENSIONS AND OTHER CHANGES

None

FIRST (Other OTC: FSTC - news) -STAGE REVIEWS BY DEADLINE

OCT 3

-- U.S. fruit firm Chiquita Brands and Irish rival Fyffes (Other OTC: FYFFF - news) to merge (notified Aug. 14/deadline extended to Oct. 3 from Sept. 19 after the companies offered commitments)

-- U.S. social network Facebook (NasdaqGS: FB - news) to buy mobile messaging startup WhatsApp (notified Aug. 29/deadline Oct. 3)

-- U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly to acquire Swiss peer Novartis (Xetra: 904278 - news) 's animal health business (notified Aug. 29/deadline Oct. 3)

-- U.S. orthopaedic products maker Zimmer Holdings (NYSE: ZMH - news) to acquire rival Biomet Inc (notified Aug. 29/deadline Oct. 3)

OCT 8

-- Private equity firm the Blackstone Group to acquire life insurer Lombard (notified Sept. 3/deadline Oct. 8/simplified)

OCT 9

-- The Ortner Group and Strauss, which is a subsidiary of Austrian construction company PORR, to jointly acquired Austrian property developer UBM (notified Sept. 4/deadline Oct. 9/simplified)

-- Areva Energies Renouvelables and Gamesa Energia to set up a joint venture (notified Sept. 4/deadline Oct. 9/simplified)

-- U.S. film and TV company 21st Century Fox and private investment firm Apollo Management to acquire joint control of a joint venture (notified Sept. 4/deadline Oct. 9)

-- Dubai's Dnata, part of the Emirates Group, to buy Britain's Stella Travel Services UK Ltd, which is jointly owned by private equity firm CVC Capital Partners and Swiss bank UBS AG (NYSEArca: FBGX - news) (notified Sept. 4/Oct. 9/simplified)

OCT 13

-- U.S. household appliances maker Whirlpool (NYSE: WHR - news) to buy a 60 percent stake in Italian peer Indesit (notified Sept. 8/deadline Oct. 13)

OCT 14

-- Petrochemicals group Ineos to buy BASF's 50 percent stake in German plastics maker Styrolution (notified Sept. 9/deadline Oct. 14/simplified)

OCT 15

-- Private equity firm Advent International to buy aluminium producer Corialis (notified Sept. 10/deadline Oct. 15/simplified)

OCT 16

-- U.S. drugmaker AbbVie (Xetra: 4AB.DE - news) to acquire Irish peer Shire Plc (Xetra: S7E.DE - news) (notified Sept. 11/deadline Oct. 16)

-- U.S. aluminium group Alcoa (NYSE: AA - news) to buy parts aerospace company Firth Rixson from private equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners (notified Sept. 11/deadline Oct. 16)

OCT 17

-- Private equity firm EQT Infrastructure and Spanish building manager Onmomutua to acquire joint control of Spanish car operator Acvil, which is now solely controlled by EQT (notified Sept. 12/deadline Oct. 17/simplified)

OCT 20

-- Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Other OTC: MHVYF - news) and German engineering group Siemens to set up a joint venture (notified Sept. 15/deadline Oct. 20)

OCT 23

-- OFI InfraVia, GDF Suez and PensionDanmark Holding to acquire joint control of gas pipeline operator Noordgastransport B.V. (notified Sept. 18/deadline Oct. 23/simplified)

-- French insurer Axa (Paris: FR0000120628 - news) and British property developer Hammerson plc (Other OTC: HMSNF - news) to acquire joint control of a British property portfolio which is now jointly owned by Hammerson and Land Securities Group plc (notified Sept. 18/deadline Oct. 23/simplified)

OCT 30

-- Dolby Laboratories (NYSE: DLB - news) to acquire digital cinema equipment maker Doremi Highlands (notified Sept. 25/deadline Oct. 30)

NOV 3

-- U.S. cable company Liberty Global (NasdaqGS: LBTYA - news) to acquire Dutch peer Ziggo (notified March 14/deadline extended to Nov. 3 after Liberty Global provided further details of concessions)

FEB 3

-- Belgian telecoms group Telenet (Brussels: TNET.BR - news) to acquire 50 percent stake in Belgian broadcasting company De Vijver Media (notified Aug. 18/deadline extended to Feb. 5 from Sept. 22 after the European Commission opened an in-depth probe)

GUIDE TO EU MERGER PROCESS

DEADLINES:

The European Commission has 25 working days after a deal is filed for a first-stage review. It may extend that by 10 working days to 35 working days, to consider either a company's proposed remedies or an EU member state's request to handle the case.

Most mergers win approval but occasionally the Commission opens a detailed second-stage investigation for up to 90 additional working days, which it may extend to 105 working days.

SIMPLIFIED:

Under the simplified procedure, the Commission announces the clearance of uncontroversial first-stage mergers without giving any reason for its decision. Cases may be reclassified as non-simplified -- that is, ordinary first-stage reviews -- until they are approved. (Editing by Foo Yun Chee)